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Russian lawmaker: US forgets democracy when defending its security

Franz Klintsevich commented on expiration of the US Patriot Act

© AP Photo/Brennan Linsley

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. A senior Russian lawmaker said the United States forgets about democracy and resorts to double standards when defending its own security.

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Franz Klintsevich, first deputy head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma lower house of Russia's parliament, made the charge after key sections of the US Patriot Act allowing National Security Agency bulk data collection expired on Monday.

"The United States didn’t surprise anyone. Everything is the same as usual, the way it happened 10, 20, 50 years ago," Klintsevich told reporters on Monday, noting what he called "the same policy of double standards."

"When it came to US national security, it completely forgot about democracy," he said "As for seeing the speck in its brother’s eye, it's very successful in that."

Patriot Act legislation passed after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US authorised state intelligence agencies including the National Security Agency to carry out wiretapping, electronic surveillance and collect telephone metadata. Key provisions of the act expired at midnight on Monday local time (07:00 Moscow time).

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